Tree of Paradise:Jewish Mosaics from the Roman Empire

$ 2195

By Edward Bleiberg.

Accompanying the exhibition Tree of Paradise: Jewish Mosaics from the Roman Empire, this catalogue illustrates twenty-one mosaic panels from an ancient synagogue that have not been on public view for fifteen years. The mosaics are the remains of the first Roman-period synagogue to be uncovered in modern times and were discovered by French army captain Ernest de Prudhomme in 1883. This book provides the opportunity to evaluate the place of the Brooklyn mosaics in the history of synagogue art for the first time since they entered the Brooklyn Museum collection in 1905. The primary subjects depicted are the Creation and Paradise, and decorative motifs include birds and fruits, with two menorahs flanking the Latin inscription. Additional works from the Museum's classical collection are also reproduced, providing a sense of context and outlining the artistic and cultural milieu in which the mosaic floor was created.